definitely Quinara's fault
The problem with LJ entries done entirely in Latin is that I'll definitely pause to read them just for the novelty factor.
And I'm curious - so if I discover that someone's written a fanfic based on a textbook, I'll start researching the textbook to find out how on earth that was possible.
And then I'll end up buying expensive Latin textbooks to go with my other expensive Latin textbooks, which is really a waste of money. (Actually, buying any Latin textbooks could technically be considered a waste of money - dead language, and all that - but I'm going to do it anyway.)
As it happens, this particular Latin textbook is absolutely perfect for me.
I have, for the record, five Latin textbooks book-type things that I'm using to learn the language. They are:
- Amo, Amas, Amat, and All That
- an intermediate Latin textbook (not the beginners one)
- Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis
- a book of fairytales translated into Latin
- the Cambridge Latin Course, Book 1 (aka the best Latin textbook ever)
Leaving aside the CLC, which I bought two weeks ago, this is a very odd way to learn Latin, but pretty much perfect for me.
If you gave me a Latin For Beginners book, it would... start the same way as every single Latin For Beginners book I've come across. That being:
"Here is what dative means. Here is what nominative means. Here is what vocative means. Here are fifty ways to decline a verb, depending on subject, object, tense, number, time of day, and favourite colour. sanus, sabus, sani, santi, santimissimus, subi, santi, sanubilo, san, santili..."
It's complex, repetitive, confusing, and boring. Very, very boring.
Whereas, my books...
Amo, Amas, Amat, and All That
Silly book of having fun with Latin. Helps me to remember why I find this language interesting in the first place. Not actually all that helpful in learning the language, but very helpful in getting me to read books that will.
intermediate Latin textbook
Has full sentences rather than single words. I can look at the sentence, look at the translation underneath, and try to match up words based on wild mass guessing. It also doesn't try to shove declensions down my throat - because it assumes I learnt those in the beginners book. Complex, but interesting. Also, it's enough of a challenge that my competitive nature keeps me reading it.
Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis
Latin Harry Potter! Whee!
Haven't really read it very much, but it's fun having it.
a book of fairytales translated into Latin
The thing I love about this one is that it translates Big Bad Wolf as "magnus malus lupus" and has "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" end with "men-men-menti!" It sounds like a fairytale. Just... in Latin. It's also useful, because I already know the basic storyline, so it's easier to follow along rather than get stuck in the middle of every sentence.
And then...
the Cambridge Latin Course, Book 1
Best. Textbook. Ever.
It's a story. Instead of chucking declensions everywhere, it tells you all about this family, and their daily life, and them going shopping, and the cook having a secret romance with someone else's servant, and guests coming to dinner and swapping ghost stories, and the son being a klutz and breaking a statue, and the statue guy getting really annoyed about his statue being broken, and bargaining over the price of togas, and...
It's so much fun. And so simple.
I'm already up to plural perfect past accusatives - and I didn't even notice it happening. *loves*
I think I'm going to have to rush back to the foreign language bookshop and waste even more money on the rest of the series.
The conversation's happening over at Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment there using OpenID. (
comments so far)
And I'm curious - so if I discover that someone's written a fanfic based on a textbook, I'll start researching the textbook to find out how on earth that was possible.
And then I'll end up buying expensive Latin textbooks to go with my other expensive Latin textbooks, which is really a waste of money. (Actually, buying any Latin textbooks could technically be considered a waste of money - dead language, and all that - but I'm going to do it anyway.)
As it happens, this particular Latin textbook is absolutely perfect for me.
I have, for the record, five Latin textbooks book-type things that I'm using to learn the language. They are:
- Amo, Amas, Amat, and All That
- an intermediate Latin textbook (not the beginners one)
- Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis
- a book of fairytales translated into Latin
- the Cambridge Latin Course, Book 1 (aka the best Latin textbook ever)
Leaving aside the CLC, which I bought two weeks ago, this is a very odd way to learn Latin, but pretty much perfect for me.
If you gave me a Latin For Beginners book, it would... start the same way as every single Latin For Beginners book I've come across. That being:
"Here is what dative means. Here is what nominative means. Here is what vocative means. Here are fifty ways to decline a verb, depending on subject, object, tense, number, time of day, and favourite colour. sanus, sabus, sani, santi, santimissimus, subi, santi, sanubilo, san, santili..."
It's complex, repetitive, confusing, and boring. Very, very boring.
Whereas, my books...
Amo, Amas, Amat, and All That
Silly book of having fun with Latin. Helps me to remember why I find this language interesting in the first place. Not actually all that helpful in learning the language, but very helpful in getting me to read books that will.
intermediate Latin textbook
Has full sentences rather than single words. I can look at the sentence, look at the translation underneath, and try to match up words based on wild mass guessing. It also doesn't try to shove declensions down my throat - because it assumes I learnt those in the beginners book. Complex, but interesting. Also, it's enough of a challenge that my competitive nature keeps me reading it.
Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis
Latin Harry Potter! Whee!
Haven't really read it very much, but it's fun having it.
a book of fairytales translated into Latin
The thing I love about this one is that it translates Big Bad Wolf as "magnus malus lupus" and has "Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!" end with "men-men-menti!" It sounds like a fairytale. Just... in Latin. It's also useful, because I already know the basic storyline, so it's easier to follow along rather than get stuck in the middle of every sentence.
And then...
the Cambridge Latin Course, Book 1
Best. Textbook. Ever.
It's a story. Instead of chucking declensions everywhere, it tells you all about this family, and their daily life, and them going shopping, and the cook having a secret romance with someone else's servant, and guests coming to dinner and swapping ghost stories, and the son being a klutz and breaking a statue, and the statue guy getting really annoyed about his statue being broken, and bargaining over the price of togas, and...
It's so much fun. And so simple.
I'm already up to plural perfect past accusatives - and I didn't even notice it happening. *loves*
I think I'm going to have to rush back to the foreign language bookshop and waste even more money on the rest of the series.
The conversation's happening over at Dreamwidth. Feel free to comment there using OpenID. (
comments so far)